AAC’s 20th anniversary is coming up in early 2023. Who would have imagined that a site we started for friends and family back in 2003 would evolve into what it is today.
And the cool thing is that, despite all that time, writing over a thousand articles and/or Online Book chapters, and answering most of 25,000 comments, I’m still as excited about creating content as I ever was—if I stopped having new ideas for articles today (not likely), it would be over a year before I ran dry.
Making AAC Better
Big anniversaries seem to promote analysis, and so Phyllis and I are thinking about new projects to improve AAC for the next 20 years…well, maybe not, I’m 70…let’s say five years.
Some of our ideas are to:
- Offer an AAC app with the same content and features, but optimized for phones and tablets.
- Do a complete rewrite and edit of the Online Books:
- Consolidate multi-part chapters into single chapters.
- Update in light of newer technology and methods.
- General improvements—I have never written a thing that I, and/or editor-Phyllis, couldn’t make better, particularly after some time has elapsed.
- Make the Online Books available on iBooks and Google Play as downloadable eBooks.
- We already do this with our Norwegian Cruising Guide so have it figured out.
- Add a micro-blog area for short posts about cool gear, boats and techniques that I come across, but that don’t warrant a full article.
- Further improve the design, speed, and usability of the site.
Refocus on What Matters
But, much more importantly, we want to focus even more on in-depth actionable content that will be of use to you members for years to come.
More:
- Chapters to fill gaps in the Online Books.
- Diagrams and illustrations.
- Checklists linked to in-depth explanatory chapters.
It’s Happening
We are already doing a lot of this:
- We have finished the rigging checklist and associated articles.
- I’m working on an electrical systems checklist, and most of the associated articles are already written.
- I have spent weeks interviewing experts and industry insiders, as well as reading manuals, on lithium batteries so I can update our Electrical Systems Online Book with that technology.
- It’s a rare day that passes without us making an improvement to an existing article. Might just be a few words changed, but often it’s a rewrite.
- We are in the throes of installing a bunch of interesting gear to review on the AAC Test Boat, AKA our J/109.
- We are winding up a frenzied refit of said boat—my fourth refit…must be nuts—during which we have learned a huge amount that we will share.
Some Things Don’t Change
All that said about current projects and future plans, there is one thing that has been the core of the site from day one that will never change:
Our focus on seamanship and voyaging offshore.
We are not, and will never become, a site full of breathless fan-boy articles about new technology just to get clicks and members.
Challenges to Solve
So that’s where we are now, and what we plan for the future. But we have two challenges to solve before we can move forward:
- Time
- Revenue
Actually, the two are interrelated, read on for how.
The Situation
- AAC is a full-time job for me in the winter, and near that in the summer; and a part-time job for Phyllis year round.
- I’m already doing all I can, so my time is a zero sum game: any new task I take on must be balanced by an existing task I drop.
- Our member growth stalled at the beginning of the pandemic.
- Growth picked up again a bit after Christmas but has tanked in recent weeks—AAC membership has always been closely correlated with stock market returns, as you would expect.
- I’m not a big enough fool to try and forecast economic trends, but it does seem likely that we are entering a period of subdued growth, so growing membership is going to be difficult.
- Member growth, or even just adding enough new members to balance attrition, is directly correlated to how often we publish.
To summarize, I’m feeling like a gerbil on a wheel:
- We need to produce an article at least five times a month just to stay in one place.
- General administration and maintenance of the site takes up at least as much time as content creation, because we have to do it all ourselves to keep costs contained.
- We have less time and energy left over for the cool projects listed above than we would like.
- There are often times I would like to spend a couple of weeks researching, writing, and illustrating a new in-depth article, but with the current model that’s out.
Another Problem
But wait, it gets worse (you were waiting for it).
We have an expenses problem, too:
- The cost of the software and services we use to publish this site has skyrocketed over the last three years at a rate far higher than inflation.
- Ever more rigorous privacy, tax reporting, and security requirements have forced us to pay ever more for the software and services to comply.
Price Increase?
So why not just put up the prices to cover these costs?
We just did, at the beginning of the May. Annual membership went from $24 to $36 a year.
Yup, that’s a 50% jump, but also the first in over three years, and only US$1/month.
And anyway, we were, and have been since 2013, when we started membership, relying on growth to make up for a silly-low price. That’s a bad strategy, particularly in the uncertain times we live in where reliable recurring revenue is required for AAC to survive.
And, anyway, even this increase won’t make our friend Andy Schell stop yelling at us that we don’t charge enough, as he has for years.
Not a Fix
But that’s not a fix because most of you members are on our legacy annually recurring plan at your original sign-up price of $18 (2013), $19.99 (2015), or $24 (2018), depending on when you signed up.
I guess we could unilaterally raise the price you pay on your next renewal—as most of the software and service vendors we use have done to us—but that does not feel right, since we would be welching on our long-promised policy not to.
And, anyway, it’s way better for AAC if you to stay at the older rate than leave because of an increase you didn’t get a say in.
Not a Good Situation
Add all this up and we are not just working harder for the same money, we are working harder for way less money after expenses, and that’s getting worse every month.
That does not feel good, particularly since our income from AAC has never been princely.
The Strategy
Phyllis and I have talked this over a bunch and the solution we came up with to this existential problem for AAC is:
- Stop fixating on the number of new members, or even the total number of members after attrition.
- Focus on making the content that really matters to loyal members as good as it can be, even if that means publishing less often.
- Ask those members who can to voluntarily pay more.
A Four-Part Plan
To those ends we are planning four steps:
1. Price Increase
- Put the price up substantially, even though we know this will reduce new signups. Done.
- Increase the price annually, so we don’t have to resort to a big percentage jump again.
2. Reward Automatic Renewal
Continue our policy of existing annual members automatically renewing at the price they signed up for:
- Rewards loyal members.
- Helps members who have, through no fault of their own, not come through the pandemic well.
- Makes it more attractive for annual members to automatically renew so as not to lose their legacy rate.
3. Encourage Upgrading to The Current Price
Ask members who it works for to voluntarily change to the new price of US$36 / year to fund the improvements listed above.
4. Supporting Membership
Offer a new AAC Supporter Membership at US$120/year for those members who would like to support us at a higher level.
- Includes an annual AAC Supporter group meeting with Phyllis and me, and possibly other benefits as we think of them.
Still a trivial amount for a member with, as many of us do, six-figure money in a boat.
Comments
So what do you think? Please leave a comment.
Or, better yet, leave a comment and increase your support:
I just upgraded from my legacy of $20/year to $36/year. I recommend your site every chance I get and suggest others do the same! Many thanks to both you and your wife for all that you do here.
Hi Thom,
Thank you, and particularly for the word of mouth recommendations. I can’t accurately measure it, but I’m still pretty sure that member recommendations are our largest and most reliable source of new members.
I tend to be a rather outspoken commenter on the many YouTube sailing channels. The mistakes I see even from the most experienced Tubers is shocking out there and I have recommended your site and articles on many occasions.
Not sure what the rules are, is there anyway to harvest more subscriptions thru this medium? Not suggesting you doing videos; ouch! that is a huge amount of work/expense with questionable returns.
Hi John and Phyllis,
I am sorry you have found it necessary to struggle in this way. Struggle to do the research for your articles, to do the video on docking, etc., OK: but not to struggle to keep alive and vibrant such a valuable contribution to the cruising community.
I do not have a solution, or even much of a suggestion, but I will up my financial support.
I have been curious over the years, in casual observation, in noticing that your site (and others that are in the realm of cruising community support such as RC’s Marine HowTo) seems to get no notice in the rest of the cruising media realm. Especially such an interesting project as the A40. Now, I could understand some of the slicks feeling competitive, but why not Practical Sailor, or professional Boatbuilder who do articles on design evolution (and your A40 is unique and “news”worthy).
I wonder also whether the European cruising community could not be expanded and/or New Zealand and Australia. It has been great fun (for me) to decipher the occasional mis-spelling and differing word usage that comes up, but more importantly, many have made important contributions.
Random thoughts,
Dick Stevenson, s/v Alchemy
Hi Dick,
Actually I don’t think of it as “struggling”. I have been in business for myself since I was 21 and one thing I have learned is that small business is a series of challenges that must be dealt with. It’s rare indeed for things to stay easy and stable for more than a year or two, and that rate of change is accelerating as the years go by—it’s just part of the job.
As to other media giving us any air time, to me the question is “why would they give us air time”? They know that the rise of the internet and the democratization of publishing is the reason they have lost at least half their revenue over the last 10-20 years so we at AAC represent everything that has hurt them.
And interestingly, that goes double for Practical Sailor, rather than the other way around, given that we are both member/subscriber supported rather than advertising so the way they see it is every dollar that goes to AAC is a dollar they lost. Not unreasonable.
In summary, all three of my businesses (micro computers for business, quick printing, AAC) over the years have been based on intercepting the revenue stream of an incumbent, albeit it in a small way, so I long ago got over not getting any love from those I disrupt.
I subscribe to both PS and AAC–they really fit two different aspects. To me, both are valuable resources that I am willing to pay to get TRUSTED INFORMATION. The free stuff out there is often questionable, biased, and is there to peddle a particular product. I just bumped my subscription at AAC to ensure this objective resource stays!
Hi Ben,
Thank you. You are right, as I often say, free information is most often worth exactly what you paid for it. And of course most free information is not free at all because it’s being funded by advertising in which case “if it’s a free product, the reader is the real product”. This last is particularly true of YouTube.
I’m minded of your frequent comment that ‘perfect is the enemy of good’; the philosophy is equally applicable here. What you offer are honest appraisals and recommendations based on extensive real world experience with substantial value added by contributors in the comments – and that’s a major USP. Contrast that with mainstream magazines where the writers seem to bend over backwards not to cause offence to companies. Perhaps before you change anything it might be good to write down exactly what it is that you do well and want to sustain and then put it in large letters over your desk.
This site offers me far more than any magazine ever could at a far lower price. I’d keep any change simple and just increase your charges in line with your costs; I suspect most of us wouldn’t be fussed. I wouldn’t agonise over legacy rates as everyone who lives in the real world recognises the inevitability of price rises. I really wish Utility companies would give us loyalty rates – but that ain’t ever going to happen!
“I’m minded of your frequent comment that ‘perfect is the enemy of good’;” is entirely correct, try to avoid the temptation to polish/rewrite unless something manifestly changes (or, perish the thought, is wrong).
Hi Negil,
Good point that we need to guard against spending too much time polishing and not enough getting really useful stuff done.
Hi Ian,
Thanks for the kind words and favourable comparison to advertising based media. Bottom line, it’s just easier to do this stuff well when we only have one boss to answer to: you members, rather than two: subscribers and advertisers.
And good point on keeping the core goals in mind at all times.
As to unilateral raising rates, we did think about that but really hope that it won’t become necessary. Just feels better to generate the added required revenue from voluntary increases rather than imposed, particularly given the ever widening gap between those who came through the pandemic well, and those who didn’t.
Sorry John – but you’re complicating it….. Bless you for your motives, but if this was a system on a boat you’d be stressing all the reasons why you should be keeping it simple. People lose out for lots of reasons other than one virus and you can’t mitigate them all, I’m afraid. Give yourself a break!
Hi Iain,
I agree that we can’t fix all that stuff, but our reasoning is not altogether altruistic either. As I say in the article, it’s way better for AAC for members to stay on at the old rate than leave because of a unilateral price increase.
And we already know that a large percentage of members get very pissed off when their membership lapses due to a credit card problem and then they have to rejoin at the new rate. About 50% don’t rejoin.
The psychology is called “anchoring” in which a person values a product against its old price rather than its intrinsic value, and it’s a powerful emotion. One sees this manifested in investing when people value a security in relation to what they paid for it, instead of what it’s worth. Doesn’t make any sense (except for a technical trader) and can cost the investor a bundle, but most people, including me if I’m not careful, still do it.
1000% agree with the statement
I’m surprised that your subscriber numbers didn’t go up along with the apparently big increase in new boat owners that occurred during the pandemic?
Hi John,
Well, they did, kinda: what actually happened in the pandemic was that first off in March of 2020 we got a huge spike in cancellations and almost no new members, so started on the back foot.
Then, as the panic wained and people got used to the new pandemic world, and the stock market rebounded, we slowly climbed back to our previous high water mark, and a bit past it, with new member sign ups returning to, or even exceeding, pre-pandemic levels.
But, at the same time cancelation increased and stayed elevated, so net numbers stayed flat.
I think the reason for the elevated churn is that while many people did well in the pandemic there is a huge silent (mostly) majority that were hurt financially to the point that they realized that boat ownership was an unattainable dream—we have had a distressing number of emails saying exactly that.
In short, our revenue issues are just another manifestation of the ever widening income gap.
Happy to pay for a Supporter membership!
Thanks, Rob, much appreciated.
The current website is completely fine as-is on mobile, and building an app is a ton of work that doesn’t give much added value, IMO. I’d prefer you spend your time & energy on the content, that’s what we come here for!
Seconded.
…and again
Totally agree, l use an old IPhone 6s Plus and always read your articles on that,
no problem
Hi Emile, Mark, Nigel, and John,
That’s great input, thank you. To be honest, that list was a bit of a trial balloon, so great to have your thoughts.
The good news is that an app generator exists that is closely linked with our existing membership system so it would not be that big a project.
That said, implementing and maintaining an app would still be a distraction, no question.
There is also no question that I’m a dyed in the wool geek and so must be very careful about indulging that tendency just because it’s fun for me, so your guidance is is even more valuable.
Anyone else have any thoughts on this?
I concur with the others, I have always read the articles on a phone or tablet without issue.
Same — I routinely read on my iPad without issue. Even if you had an app, I’d continue to view the site via the web browser on my iPad.
Hi Jane,
Thanks, seems like this is pretty much unanimous. Makes sense to me.
Agreed. As is, AAC works perfectly on mobile Chrome, mobile Firefox, and iOS Safari on all screen sizes I’ve tried. An app would just be a distraction that adds no value, at least unless it had an elaborate system of local caching and cache updating for offline access, which is not something I would want to code!
Hi Matt,
As you say the coding would be very tricky, but there maybe good news on that front in that there is a an app that links with our members system that I think has that capability. Obviously the devil is in the details, so lots of investigation required that I don’t have time for until the winter, but worth looking at, and I will.
Think I would prefer an eBook because you can annotate or make notes in it using just about any e reader as far as I know.
On a different note, what about podcasts? Surely it wouldn’t take as much time to edit as video. There’s a dearth of good sailing podcasts out there, IMO, especially technical ones.
Hi John,
That’s a good point on the benefits of ebooks. From what I’m hearing, together with being guided by my own proclivities, I’m thinking that eBooks should be well before an app in priority.
As to podcasts, I think the reason that there are not a lot of good technical ones is that it’s not a good medium for that mission. Podcasts tend to ramble and so go long. Generally I think it’s possible to communicate the same information in about 25% of the time in writing, sprinkled with photos and diagrams. The other problems with podcasts is they are a horrible medium if you need to come back later and just check a fact or diagram, ditto video. But with writing you can just scan down the headlines looking for what you need. Plus podcasts and video are not searchable, a big drawback for the dissemination of technical information.
And finally, podcasts don’t lend themselves to an organized and productive discussion in the comments, one of the best parts of AAC.
John – Given your subscriber base and our aspirations… downloadable ebooks that we can reference sans internet when off in the hinterlands for both reference and, for me anyway, pleasure reading – is very appealing. I get that protecting content is an issue and might interfere.
Hi Christoper,
Good point. The good news is that piracy of the content is a solved problem on iBooks and Google play since both include digital rights management. This is a lot of the reason we moved the Norwegian Cruising Guide over to those platforms a few years ago.
So I think the biggest two drawbacks with eBooks is that it would only be practical to update them once a year, at most, and there would be no way to give members a discount on them since they would be sold through different platforms.
For eReader access, rather than manually converting, updating, and syncing EPUB files, I might suggest simply making sure the site plays well with Pocket as a first step. If there’s a relatively easy way to make that work, it might solve the issue for 80% of users at 10% of the effort.
Amen
With all due respect to your formidable research and analytical skills in terms of all things sailing, the comments these pieces inspire are the true strength of this project. The sailors here are clearly experienced, and it is what they bring that illuminates some often dim corners of our shared pursuits.
Agreed that written material with pictures and perhaps the odd short video are much better than podcasts and long videos for the kind of technical content of AAC
Hi Neil,
Thanks for adding your thoughts to that. Taking the input into account I think the only reason to do an app would be if it could be real time updated version of an eBook that also supported offline reading.
Did anyone ever told you that if you don’t have an app, they will not subscribe?
I think that AAC appeals to the serious minded boat knowledge gathering individuals. A change/add in format may not be of any value. What is of value to me is strengthening your already strong core values. The rest will follow.
Hi John,
Actually yes, several, and Andy has been beating on me for years about an app. That said, that does not necessarily make the idea a good one for AAC, particularly given the feedback above.
Hi John,
I may be biased (I’m a software developer), but I very much don’t like apps that have none or next to none value added compared to the company’s website. I have a browser on my phone. I don’t need an app that is basically a browser for a single site.
Oh, and thanks for providing the option to pay more to support AAC.
I will toss my $0.02 in agreement – don’t waste time/effort on an app. I like the idea of an e-book with diagrams that can be saved on a computer/tablet/e-reader and referenced offline.
I will upgrade at my next renewal. Please keep producing your content!
Hi Nathan,
Thanks for adding another voice to this important decision, the more the better.
Yep, no app. Our devices are already bloated with apps we dont need/use/can’t delete.
Amen
Hi Alex,
Great to have the insight from a real developer, thank you. At this point the only benefit I could see for an app would be if it allowed off line reading and supported auto update of all content and comments when back on line. As you know better that I, a tall order and one that gets one into trying to manage storage space on the hand held device.
second that.
every s..t outfit expects you to install some stupid app on your device for something where a website would be perfectly fine.
I also agree. I’m currently reading on an iPad and it’s flawless. Also, your email notifications link to the browser platform so that’s how I access AAC. As for Andy’s advice, his app is fine but I don’t love it. Makes sense for him as he started from scratch, but you have this site already… it ain’t broke so…
Hi Will,
Good point, and thanks for the evaluate of Andy’s app. In return for beating on me about a bunch of things, I have repeatedly advised Andy that he has Quarterdeck on the wrong platform (closed system) and that one day he will be driven into converting to open systems with all the grief involved. I think he’s coming around slowly.
I agree with others: an app version would add no value for me… and anything that subtracts from your content-making time would seem to be a step backwards.
-Chris
This site could look like Netscape 1.0 and I would read it. I appreciate the curation and links to related articles and ancient, but valuable, observations than I do on the look and feel. It remains the only site I pay for, or, indeed, have ever paid for, and is one of the few I read from the boat on a Nova Scotia mooring ball.
Hi Marc,
Thanks, that’s a loverly endorsement.
I do not see any great advantage in an app. I read on iPhone iPad ant PC, all quiet happily
Content is the key to value in AAC, not computer pizzazz
I’m reading this on my phone now and I don’t even have my reading glasses with me.
Hey John,
I’m a relatively new member (2 months) and have exhausted the “old” material. I have thought about moving on but have decided to wait and see what new material comes from your new boat and how you manage the transition from “high latitude sailor” to what, I’m assuming, is more “coastal cruiser”. I would prefer new material over an app and, as others have said, the site works well enough on a phone or tablet as is. You’ve created something special here and I hope you continue to find it an enjoyable endeavor. My one suggestion might be to consider expandig the number of contributors – vetted/edited by you of course – so that you are not the only source of new material. I have certainly enjoyed the articles of the other people you have included thus far.
I wish you well on your continuing journey and thank you for helping me on mine!
Kurt
Hi Kurt,
Wow, you are a fast reader given that the archive is bigger than War and Peace and that’s without delving into the wisdom in 35,000 comments.
Anyway, no plans to stop publishing new stuff, just slow it down a bit from time to time from the frenetic pace of the last few years. Today we published an in-depth piece on keel integrity which should be of interest to anyone with a sailboat, and I just finished the next piece on seamanlike gear selection.
Anyway, even if we cut the output to two in depth articles a month (no plans to go that far) that would still be just $1.50 each with the access to the archive and comments and ability to ask questions thrown in for free. Still the best value out there, by far.
Also, I have not really been writing as a high latitude sailor for 10 years. Last big northern trip was 2011.
As to other writers, almost everyone suggests that, and we are always open to taking new authors on, but finding someone who both has something useful to say, and can actually write is not easy. And even then, managing the writer and editing them takes time as well, and that’s assuming their experienced and good at it, like Colin, Matt and Andy. If they are learning, bringing them along is more work than doing it ourselves.
All that said, I’m working on a bit of a brain storm idea for a new type of content that will fill the gaps between the longer articles and keep people engaged. Stay tuned.
I would love to see a really good app
BUT I don’t think you should go down this road; as Emile says it is a ton of work, far more technically demanding (and thus expensive) than developing a website.
Better to spend a fraction of that just making sure any changes to the website work properly on mobile devices.
You mention that there is an existing app that might link to your system: I suggest that is worth investigating, just don’t try commissioning a bespoke app from scratch.
Hi Richard,
Good advice. After having run a bespoke software development operation for 15 years I know enough to run screaming for the hills before commissioning a development project of that magnitude!
Same opinion here. Content first. Container second… Remember the 3D thing on the TV ? Dead…because of the absence of content and then because of the complexity…
Hi Philippe,
I agree, never put the sizzle ahead of the sausage.
Agree!
What on earth are you thinking.
Like many others I would like to increase your income but I cannot because you exclude 3 year subscriptions.
We hear you and agree with Andy that you are grossly undercharging. Why exclude any members. $36 is still too low.
A jump from $36 to $120 is too high and more members at say $60 would generate more income. You do not need to change benefits, just keep on writing about new stuff and better ways of dealing with old stuff.
In my case spending 24 years on researching the best items to create the perfect yacht, your insights have been a very valuable resource and I have mentioned your site frequently on Instagram.
I would suggest a member survey of your proposed improvements. as not all would get widespread support in my opinion and it would save a lot of hard work. Perhaps also survey a variety of fee structures.
Whether you decide on $60 or $120 I would sign up for either if possible.
Hi William,
Good point on the three year memberships, particularly since those tend to be held by our most loyal members who are most likely to upgrade.
The reason we have not yet offered a way to upgrade is simple: Our system does not support a clean way for a three year member to change, prior to expiration.
Upgrade with proration is actually a very tricky code problem affecting not just our system but also our two payment processors (Stripe and PayPal) with all kinds of opportunities for bugs to screw things up in the interactions between the three systems.
Also, only a small proportion of our members are three year, so we decided to start by focusing on the problem of legacy annual memberships because there are more of them and left un-addressed, those memberships will never roll over to a higher rate and because our system already supported that elegantly.
Also good point on the jump from annual to supporter. We thought just the price you suggest, or maybe have a silver or gold supporter level, but in the end decided to keep it simple. May easily have been a mistake, if so we will fix it.
As to a poll, another good idea, particularly on system features desired.
+1… just have to pile on here to point out that for folks actually dealing with boats and sailing adventurous places… every tenth or so article saves me/us hundreds of dollars and many hours in getting it right the first time.
Long ago I sent you an email from South Georgia in howling williwaws to thank you because the anchor and rode held (bc of what I learned from AAC)… on that day my subscription was worth both a good night’s sleep & the entire value of our boat.. all to say you can charge more.
Although I do agree that you should use data to maximize total revenue by balancing subscriber numbers with the subscription cost, over the rants of the likes of me.
While the reason we have yet to leave Nova Scotia after arriving here in October 2020 is related to supply chain issues, political turmoil and other challenges, the reason we landed on the South Shores is directly due to one of John’s recommendations as to a competent ship yard capable of doing a reasonably priced bottom job. We have made several shore side decisions, such as buying land, a mooring, and a trailer as a “Plan Z” stemming from this and while we have to be prudent about the increasingly expensive yard, we feel lucky to have gotten the AAC tip in the first place. My point is that the advice given here can have knock-on effects well beyond just talking about boats.
Hi Christopher,
Thank’s, what a great endorsement. That said, as you point out it highlights a marketing problem in that until people get out there and actually experience the value of the information they often don’t get it… Hum, think we need to do a better job on testimonials like yours above.
Be my pleasure to craft a helpful testimonial, just let me know. In our case, AAC was a partner in our journey from near-shore cruising to and through three years of adventuring in the higher latitudes. You and Phyllis are “enablers” in the very best sense of the word!
Hi Christoper,
Thanks very much, we will contact you when we pull that project together, probably in late fall. It’s on the list.
We will be upgrading our membership Your site is a wealth of information and we appreciate the straightforward and (occasional) brutal honesty.
Hi Jim,
Thanks for upgrading and the kind words. Hopefully not too brutal? I try to keep withing the mantra of one of my favorite bloggers “no mercy, no malice” but it’s easy to go too far.
Not too brutal, and definitely not too far. And no app, please. I like what you’ve done.
Upgraded my membership. Random thoughts:
Future growth will be ever more closely linked to the number and quality of video posts.
For me one of the most impressive feature of the site is the quality of your moderation. When I come across quality articles elsewhere the associated comments are rarely worth reading. This is never the case on AAC.
Colin and Andy’s articles are always good, do you invite other people to submit articles for you to edit and approve?
Leaving your sailing expertise aside for a minute you have a real talent for fostering a healthy community that’s comfortable with a range of opinions. It’s the moderation that makes the difference, the secret sauce that makes AAC special.
I strongly endorse this. Moderation and resulting quality is hugely valuable.
I am also concerned at the suggestion that only new articles drive new numbers. The discussion is just as important. If really good discussions are provoked, then fewer articles a month would be fine…
And there is such a huge resource: without some stirrng of the pot, new members will seldom see the older material! So I amsure there is an alternate value proposition.
Why not brainstorm how you stir that pot to provoke thinking? For me that is one of your key value propositions
PLEASE dont burn yourselves out. You shuld gracefully withdraw.
(And I will be upgrading my membership…)
Hi Charlie,
I hear you on video, but we have made the decision not to go that way, other than short videos within an article to illustrate a particular point, that we will be doing more of when warranted.
Doing full length video well is incredibly time consuming and difficult, so going that way would distract us from what we already do well, technical writing.
Also there are thousands of cruisers trying to become the next S/V Delos, the competition is brutal.
And more importantly, in my opinion, long form video is generally a very inefficient way to impart technical information. I should write an article on that some time.
As to adding writers, we are always open to that, but the problem is that most cruisers are not writers, even though many think they are, so editing their submissions would be actually more work than producing an article ourselves.
(Most articles from cruisers published in magazines have been completely rewritten by the staff editors, not edited. I know this because back when I started, my stuff needed that treatment to!)
Thanks for the kind words on moderation. I agree that the comments are much of what make AAC valuable, although a lot of the credit for that needs to go to the members, not me.
Short demo videos to help an article could be a great addition on some subjects, but not all. I think longer videos are not the answer. I’ll also tag along on the appreciation for the comment quality, it’s a real asset.
Hi Nathan,
I agree on short videos imbedded in the article. To that end I have recently updated my iPhone to 13 to make that easier and the results better, so you will see more as we go forward.
Seccond more suplimental videos! Sometimes seeing it in video format helps paint a picture better than stills. Especially since the caption is your own commentary. You don’t need to put too much work into it. James Baldwin of Atom Voyages keeps it fairly raw, but the information is deep.
Hi Ben,
I agree, look for more short ones, like those we have done in the past, in the future. My new iPhone 13 wll make that much easier and quicker to do that using a full on camera as we used to do.
Sounds like your videos will be pithy and densely packed with valuable info. 10 x the content in 1/10th the time of the usual sailing video. Viewers will be impressed. Be sure to include a link to the website. This could contribute a lot to subscription growth.
Hi P D,
Unfortunately YouTube no longer allows imbedded links back to our wed site unless you are a star with hundreds of thousand of views. one of the many predatory policies of the big guys that make it ever more difficult for the little guy.
I should have expanded my comment about video. I completely agree that it’s usually not the best way to impart technical info. However, it does currently make a significant difference to where you are placed in Google rankings. If a technical (text) article has a short video at the top introducing the topic and saying why it’s important I think you’ll find it performs far better in the Google search rankings. I’m assuming that Google search is where most of the membership growth comes from?
Hi Charlie,
Very good point, but the problem is that google links direct to the video clip, not to the article, and then only if it’s on YouTube, and then they won’t let me link within in the video back to the article (changed 3 years ago). Don’t get me started on the moral aspects of those policies given that Google own YouTube. Way past time to break up the Google empire with the force of law (anti-trust).
Video is not a great format for most of what’s discussed at AAC.
S/V Delos and the like are about selling a dream of escape to people who are stuck behind cash registers, truck dashboards, and keyboards. AAC is partly about selling the dream, but it’s also about teaching the hard lessons and the complex technical details. That’s best done through writing and through asynchronous textual discussion.
Doing a good job of regular video is hard. You are trying, by yourself, to be a television writer, director, cameraman, gaffer, actor, producer, propmaster, editor, publisher, marketer, and accountant, in addition to all the hats you have to wear as master of the boat. You are doing all this while beholden to a dominant distribution platform (YouTube) that is faceless, capricious, and known to arbitrarily suspend creators’ income streams without explanation or right of appeal.
Unless you really enjoy the attention, the workload, and the risk, being a video star is really not that appealing a life!
Hi Matt,
All very true. Most people don’t understand what it takes to make a good photo, and good video is probably an order of magnitude harder if you do it really right.
Hi John, actually I wondered how long it may take until you recognize your sites’ value is way above 18/year… 😉
AAC is actually the only site that I simply cannot live/sail/refit without, so I already changed my plan to the current value. Sorry that I’m not able to support more, at the moment my boat is eating up all money 😄
Hi Ernest,
Thanks for the change. Totally hear you on boats in refit eating money, out J/109 has developed a huge apatite. Hope it will tail off soon.
Some other good boating web sites have offered lifetime memberships in the range of $200-$400. For those who truly value your work, this could be a viable option to provide pay-it-forward financial support.
Hi Gary,
We did think about it, but given that I’m 70 it felt like offering a lifetime membership would, quite rightly, elicit the question: whose?
AAC Supporter done! without even a second thought
Thanks, James, and a double thank you for “without a second thought”.
Upgrading to Supporter at $120 with thanks.
Hi John,
That’s very kind, particularly since you are no longer sailing, thank you.
Hi, so many good comments already. I wholeheartedly agree with Andy (and everyone else) that an increase in price is warranted! And the support membership is a good idea! Personally I find this site (at least) as valuable as a course I could have paid for. One thing is the content, the other is the format. That I can go and consult the material at any time and pace I need later as opposed to a course that is over at the end. There is even “personal support” in the comments, and full articles being written based on reader-questions!
I am totally new to sailing, so I have little to compare to, but I “delivered” my own boat from UK, across the North Sea, to Northern Norway pretty much singlehanded, having literally never stepped foot aboard a sailboat before in my life. I credit that to your site (going alongside, anchoring, heavy weather tactics… just to name a few) and Colin (who helped me out during survey/purchase). And the expenses saved in buying gear and doing what works right away, is beyond my imagination. For sure this applies to more people than me! Paying a tenner a month is still an amazing value to me.
As to the future:
I don’t really care about an app, but as mentioned, an e-book would be nice. A way to download and save entire books to have available offline and put bookmarks and personal comments in the text etc. Having this able to update with new comments and changes happening on the website would be even better, but just the books/articles without the comments at all would be really nice too.
As to “polishing” articles, I’m not sure that is the best way to spend the time/energy (unless you find yourself in a position to hire someone). However, as many have mentioned, the comments are a large part of this site, but as a new member with SOOOO many articles and comments to read through, finding information can be hard. Therefore I think maybe a way to highlight/implement/polish/categorize the important comments in older articles could be great. No idea how to do it, just something that I see as a value to new readers like myself.
Expanding on that, I feel like the search function is not the greatest. It would be great to see this upgraded. In fact, that is probably the thing I would appreciate the most, as it can sometimes be hard to find the right article in the “jungle” of articles and comments. What I miss, is things like being able to modify the searches (based on headings, comments, author, date, etc), and also to change the layout a bit so that you can more easily identify the results without opening the link (increased number of lines in the preview for example). And also adding a link to the home page from the search-page in the logo on top.
The way I “consume”/study AAC does not fit well with the video format, and I suspect that applies to most of us. This is technical and often “heavy” material that needs to be absorbed at one’s own pace, and text/pictures are perfect!
Lastly: As everyone says, what you do is GREAT, the format works, the content works. Don’t change too much (just increase the price)! Write quality articles and answers in the comments. There are many people that wonder the same thing that is being asked in the comments, and as such, I feel that the replies in comments are just as valuable as new comments.
Arne 🙂
Hi Arne,
Thanks for a lot of good suggestions and some very kind words.
I agree with all of your recommendations although having ebooks auto update actually gets us back to an app, but good to highlight that.
And you are totally right about the search capability. A lot of room for improvement to a feature that is mission critical to AAC. I have already done preliminary work on that and will put it at the top of the list for required improvements. I have a very busy June planned already, so look for it in July, or maybe August, depending on how complex the implementation gets.
I’m a new sailor, only joined a few years ago after hearing about your page through Andy. And i’ll happily bump up the membership fee to the 36$ mark as, even as a young person, it is a very low amount. More or less the same as the price of one book per year. And lord knows i buy enough sailing books as is. Best of luck to you and looking forward to read what’s next!
Hi Eric,
Good point on the how well the price compares to buying books. Particularly important given that one of the great marketing truths is that perceived value is closely linked to what ever the prospective buyer is anchoring to. This is one of the reasons that we think a unilateral price increase could be a big problem since many members will be mentally anchored to the amount they have always paid and so perceive the increase as unreasonable, whereas a new member will take the same amount in stride.
A price increase is justified. I changed my Legacy rate from $18 to $36. Thank you for your tremendous service and I hope you get ongoing support from your other followers.
However, a bigger issue is that you seem tired. You deserve a break. Why not cut the service to a quarterly offering for the same price? It’ll give you a chance to live a little. You are now 70. No apologies are needed. Stay well and keep sharing the knowledge for as long as you can. The market is changing. I’m 77. My offshore days are over. Climate change, global political unrest, and inflation make the dream of offshore adventure sailing seem less attainable for the younger ones. We enjoyed the best of times.
Hi Garry,
Actually, I feel reinvigorated by the reaction to this post. That said, upping the revenue per member will allow us to take a bit more time off, which will be nice and almost certainly mostly get spent on our new boat, which will further inspire me, so definitely good to slow it down a bit and might even result in better content, and so be a win all around.
Hi Again, Garry,
I totally agree that we had the best of times in cruising and so many other things to the point that I often have a hard time looking young people in the eye when considering the world we boomers have handed over to them.
Yes. Agree with virtually everything above. I know you don’t like adverts but perhaps a 2 tier membership with a higher cost for being ad. free?
Happy to upgrade our 3 year plan to higher rate
We also read everything perfectly on both iPhones and iPads, so probably no need to spend money on this.
Just about to launch in North Sydney NS.
Thanks again for an invaluable resource.
Frank
Hi Frank,
Interesting idea on 2 tiered. We looked at it a three years ago, but the problem is that selling advertising is very time consuming. And if you just use Google ads the return is peanuts. Also, advertisers will always try and influence the editorial content and it gets tiring continually telling them no. This is why we junked corporate membership in early 2020 and although losing the revenue just before the pandemic was painful, I would not go back. Being 100% member funded is just cleaner.
I agree that videos are not that good at sharing technical information. It can be done but it takes more time to do than writing. I really hate seeing a video on how to do something simple regarding steps, A, B, and C, when I could quickly read simple bulleted text. The video, even if done well, will take far more time to watch, than to read text. It is a hard and time consuming task to create good video content and many times just quicker to write up some text.
Video, and even simple images, takes quite a bit of time editing that I do not think most people appreciate. We have watched Delo’s since the beginning, and you can see how their photography, videography, story telling, and editing skills have improved greatly over the years. This does not come cheap in time, skill set, cameras, computers and software.
It might be helpful to do some polls, if it is easy to do, regarding
I am interested in iBooks to download which could also be a source of income when ya’ll get older. 🙂
If I could only have one cruising/boating related website, it would be Morgan’s Cloud. I reference Morgan’s Cloud articles frequently on other websites and mention that the site is cheap and a bargain for the price. I often think that I should get a referral fee. LOL I did update my subscription. I did not realize the subscription was even cheaper than I thought.
Hi Daniel,
Good analysis of the drawbacks of Video. To me video and podcasts are for opinion and entertainment. Text, photos and diagrams for imparting technical information. It’s that simple.
For example, there is a huge amount of good information about the practicalities of electric drive within Sailing Uma’s videos, but to watch over 100 hours of video to tease that information out when the same could be imparted in less that 10,000 words readable in less than an hour is crazy-inefficient.
The same applies to S/V Panope’s excellent information on anchors.
This is the ONLY marine oriented site I am willing to pay for and I am happy to renew at $U60 per year. The Unique Value Proposition AAC offers is integrity, authenticity and credibility – over and above all other sources I know of.
That said this does not solve the problem of attracting new members. I understand your reluctance to add more video based material – but our generation will be the last for whom books and written material are a primary information resource. The advent of unlimited streaming video will prove as significant as the invention of the printing press and will change everything.
But that does not automatically make everything on YouTube wonderful either. And it is a brutal marketplace where only a tiny fraction of content providers do well at it. Living and working for the algorithm is incredibly demanding and I do not suggest sticking your head anywhere near that noose.
Another part of why AAC has survived is that you have been willing to put yourself out there in order to actively curate the site. The articles are excellent, only exceeded by the quality and character of the comment threads below – but this is only possible because you have the experience and confidence to impose your order on the place. Nonetheless the core community here is your other major resource and considering how to better leverage their depth and credibility.
Just some thoughts John.
Not sure what you mean by “our generation”, but I would absolutely say I am within the younger generation, and the written media is not defeated by video and platforms like YouTube.
I use YouTube for supplemental information when I study things for work (anesthesia and emergency medicine), and sailing, but I still prefer text. Text will not die. The people that are likely to walk the walk and actually do real offshore sailing, I suspect are not that easily tricked by the “glossy” YouTube thumbnails and bikinis.
Another semi-related point, is that I don’t want this to be a kind of “sailing-YouTube” appealing to the masses. I like that both the articles and comments have integrity, substance, accountability (full names), and credibility. I like AAC as it is. I would be happy for everyone that join, but I feel like it would be a major setback if those points were to disappear. This is like The voyagers handbook, The Annapolis sailing book, and Nigel’s technical handbook. Only continually evolving and improving.
Anyway, just wanted to voice out that I think it’s wrong to do videos to appeal to the younger generation. I am young, and this appeals to me as it is! And I think it’s wrong to try to appeal to a new kind of customer-group, but rather to reach the ones that does not yet know about the site.
Hi Philip and Arne,
Very interesting comments, particularly when read together as I just did.
I’m totally with Philip on not sticking our heads in the noose of YouTube. It’s heart breaking to see all the cruisers labouring away to make google richer with almost no income in the vain hope of becoming the next S/V Delos.
But I’m with Arne on the idea that long form writing will be around for a while. In fact I have even seen studies showing that the appeal is growing.
On the other hand, what has changed is the way long form writing is being distributed. For example, it’s true that blogging, as it was practised in the early 2000s is dying.
Having tracked this stuff for years I’m near certain that a lot of reason for the decline in blogging is that Google has prioritized their own content (YouTube) over text content in their search results. And FaceBook does everything it can to discourage users for leaving the platform. If ever there was a reason for anti-trust.
Anyway, we do have some ideas for bypassing Google. Second of those, check lists were the first, to roll out in a week or so.
Hi John,
I never comment but I have read EVERYTHING on this site, much of it more than once just because it is so interesting and informative. Though I am a power boat guy (I may have skipped a few articles on rigging), I gladly upgraded to supporter.
I agree that an app would add little other than time and expense for you. eBooks would be great to have offline.
There is an enormous pool of potential subscribers in the power boat world and there is no blog (that I have identified) of nearly the quality of this one. The closest is mvdirona.com. They are a couple who motored everywhere in the world in their Nordhaven 52 that they recently sold and are now back on land living in Seattle. Their blog is free, but like yours, has lots of useful information for those wanting to do serious offshore motoring.
It seems that AAC just needs more subscribers. It also appears that the number of sailor subscribers you have is “maxed out.” I know it may sound crazy to you as a sailor of sailboats, but the potential audience for AAC in the motoring world is not insignificant. Could you bring in some other authors like Jenifer and James Hamilton to broaden the appeal of AAC? The potential would be to offload some of the writing work you do while at the same time bringing in more and different subscribers to increase revenue. Additionally, a bust of cheap marketing on FB or YouTube could draw in some initial interest.
I will keep reading and paying but I think there are others like me who might join as well . . . .
Thank you for all the hard work you do, The quality shows.
Hi Patrick,
Good point on the relative size of the power and sailing communities. That said, when we filter the power boat world for only those interested in going offshore I’m reasonable sure it skews the other way.
Anyway, right now our key problem is not the number of members, but rather how little so many of them pay, so I think the first order of business is to fix that, before we get distracted by going after new markets or writers.
As I have written before managing and editing other writers is often more work and time than creating content ourselves. Matt, Andy, and Colin break that rule, but most don’t.
I very much like the idea of making some of the online books into a downloadable format. For example, I very much would like to see the electrical systems book made into this format, and made available to members at one price, and to outsiders at another. As I contemplate upgrading my own systems on board, this would be an instant purchase for me.
I am not interested in reading anything on a phone, so rejigging the site to be smart-phone friendly is not important for me.
Annual price increases is fine by me. I will think about the voluntary price increase; $36/p.a. seems reasonable. And, speaking as someone who runs a big site that is our sole source of income presently (Covid killed our earlier business), the online space is becoming more crowded, and the only way to be successful is to be better than the competition. This is the space we play in. Good luck!
I upgraded my membership to the $36/p.a. plan a moment ago.
I have just upgraded to the $36/p.a. subscription.
I think that it is excellent value and it would still be for me at $46 or $56 but I understand your cautious approach.
Thanks again,
Tom
SV Boomaroo
Oz
I have being reducing my online presence for some time now, mainly by leaving forums (account deletion) and cancelling any subscription. AAC is one place I have decided to maintain membership. Quite simply, the advice is reliable and understandable, but more importantly, where it is not understandable, clarification is easy to get. You Tube is a great resource for sure, but it serves a different purpose and many of the how to videos are simply a monologue, which I find tedious and more difficult to extract what I need; I prefer text.
Being a Scotsman paying for anything is a very difficult decision for me (-; but it was an easy decision for AAC. Regarding ebooks, I wouldn’t bother, unless it adds a degree of protection from copyright infringement. I use pdf a lot for my work where I have to reference standards and manuals. My team and I all use iPads and have the various documents easily annotated and marked on pdf. If format is not an issue, then would pdf not take less time to format an article into?
Like others I read AAC articles on my iPad and mobile phone via the web link and would continue to do so, seeing no need for a special mobile version. To be frank, many mobile versions of forums and websites are less functional and usually I resort back to the website version. I can see advantages that mobile friendly versions have for fast download over lower bandwidth connections, but the world is changing rapidly with regards to internet speed, plus devices have huge amounts of memory now, so I am not so sure if mobile versions are so useful. I talk from a stance of an ignoramus when it comes to digital medial, so forgive me if my points are plain dumb.
As for price point, the first rule of capitalism, charge the price the market will stand. An easy phrase but a difficult point to arrive at. I think the quality of your work does demand a price increase and is justifiable because of the reliability of the information you provide. Inflation is likely driving up overheads, hence your price has to account for that. A lot of folks are tightening their belts, even those of us with 5, 6 or 7 figure floating assets, but it is the truly unnecessary that is being dumped e.g. TV subscription channels, fast food, magazine subscriptions, business class flights. Your target audience is people who are planning, aspiring or are undertaking adventure cruising and my guess is that they will pay for advice. My advice is to keep up the networking, keep writing articles (with more graphics), keep it real world and folks will come. Remember, as far as I can tell, the second wave of folks with spare cash, the post baby boomer generation, are getting ready to sail off. You’re needed more that ever. My advice, try and communicate the need to refer your site by members, maybe with an email campaign asking members to sign up others – how could that be rewarded to encourage? I don’t know, maybe an email link from a members email that you have sent out, where the potential new member gets a discount on sign up for the first year. The repeat business is what you are after, as that forms a core cash flow that covers overheads plus and repeat comes from a percentage of newbies that decide to stay on. Good luck with whatever you decide.
PDF would work equally as good as an e-book. Any form that lets me have it on the iPad and read it while I’m outside of cell coverage. Today I need to save the webpage, and that’s tedious.
I agree that pdf is the preferred medium. It’s universal, can be annotated by the reader, and is easy to produce. FWIW, I too think of myself as the younger generation (though I suppose I’m now the middle generation), and currently work in software development.
Hi Nathan,
True, but a PDF is a non starter because of the lack of effective and transparent digital rights management. Just one of those times where the desire to stay in business trumps a tech decision.
Hi Alastair,
Great analysis of the issues and possible solutions. Not a thing I disagree with and a lot that has got me thinking, particularly motivating members to sign up others, thank you.
You have an incredibly valuable site and have developed an amazingly knowledgeable community John. As an example, just last weekend my wife and I read through one of your “coming alongside” articles together as we’d been struggling to work together as effectively as possible. We went through your steps the next chance we got and while we still need plenty of practice it was a much better outcome than we’d had previously. Afterwards Chris said, “Thanks for sharing that article and video with me, it was really helpful”. That was worth the price of subscription right then and there. I recommend your site to everyone. Thanks for all you do.
Hi Jim,
Thanks for the kind words. Hearing that our content has made a real difference out in the hands on real world is a huge motivator for Phyllis and me.
Hi Andy,
I agree, if the app could be an elegant way to read offline and also allow comments, and then automatically synchronize itself to the parent site when back online it would be the ultimate way to go since it would obviate the need for eBooks. I have already done some research on this and will make it a priority next winter.
I echo all the positive comments above. Fabulous site and content.
I would love to see a better search function. I have limited interest in videos. I would have moderate interest in eBooks, but that option is not too compelling for me.
I frequently go back to old articles and comments when I finally get around to something that has been simmering in the back of my mind since a read of your site long before. Even if you slow down a bit from running on the hamster wheel of trying to keep generating lots of new content, I feel like ten bucks a month is still a good value for unlimited access to all the existing content, plus accumulated knowledge/content in the comments.
I currently have a 3 year membership expiring in 2024. Am I reading correctly that it is “systems impossible” for me to go to the $120/year until the current membership expires?
Hi Andrew,
We are well into the task of providing better search, thanks to Andy who called out, a few moths ago, how bad the Google search we use now is. Look for it in a month or so, and it will be a big improvement since we will have control of the search engine and so be able to tweak it to meet member needs.
Hi again, Andrew,
You are right, the system does not currently support an update to supporter from 3 year until expiry. Thanks for the interest in upgrading. I am looking at a way to fix that and will email all three years if we solve it.
Hi John
I increased my subscription to $36 but the automatic renewal was somehow cancelled. Is that an error?
Thanks and best wishes,
Charles
Charles Starke MD
Hi Charles,
Thanks very much. The cancelation is of your old membership and is automatically done to make sure you are not double billed. So your new membership at $36 will automatically bill you a year from now.
Hi John,
This is going to be lengthy (what a surprise, coming from me) but I’ll try to give my thoughts as I read this, and try to sort them logically:
NEW memberships
The main tools influencing new memberships:
1. Increase discoverability.
2. Increase motivation to join.
3. Increase temptation.
4. Reduce resistance to entry.
1. Increase DISCOVERABILITY
Word of mouth (or keyboard) is as John says probably the most valuable channel of discovery now. That’s a very good way, but do the present members spread words in all groups that deserve attention? Probably not!
Patrick Ryan suggests power boaters. Most members here are sailors, and I’m a fanatic. Still I and many others have shown interest in the articles on ocean going motor yachts, so we’re not as hostile as we might think. 🙂 The number of power boaters is enormously much bigger than the number of sailors. I think the percentage of power boaters considering big ocean crossings is way smaller than among sailors. However, a tiny percentage of a very large number is still a significant number. They would definitely find lots of great value here, and would probably bring valuable experiences, perspectives and knowledge. How would we find the right power boaters? I don’t know, but I’m certain others here have ideas.
The majority of ocean cruisers are well past their youth, so our ability to tell them about AAC is limited. Also, they usually get their influences via other channels. Even FaceBook is now mostly for oldies, and heading rapidly for obsolescence. How would the young discover this site? Again I don’t know, but perhaps one answer lies in an app, as discussed here. I almost exclusively use an iPad pro and my iPhone. I don’t see anything an app would give me that I don’t already have, but I might be wrong. I do notice that when there is an app for something I do frequently, I always use that rather than the browser version. It’s smoother and quicker. Young people have a much bigger resistance to clunky than I have, as I got into computers almost 40 years ago… An app has less functionality, which is mostly a good thing. The few times we need to do something more complicated, the browser fills in. I would actually recommend having an app, but be sure to make it functionally as simple and flawless as possible, while looking nice. Some colour, not only black on white.
So, I mentioned power boaters and young people. There must be other groups worthy of contemplation? There are definitely also a load more to say about discoverability.
2. Increase MOTIVATION to join
This is what you’re already doing all the time by creating value. Probably somebody here will have good ideas about what else could be done to improve how potential new members better DETECT the value of joining?
3. Increase TEMPTATION
This is in a way similar to the previous point about motivation, but still a different mechanism. People make most decisions from emotion, not logic. Logic is used to justify the decision you have already made. Temptation is just this thing. As Oscar Wilde said: “I can resist anything, except temptations.” I put the point here because it’s part of the logic, but I don’t have significant suggestions. Pictures of lightly dressed young people are efficient for getting attention and temptation, but I don’t think it’s the right type of tool here. 🙂
The actual value here is perhaps words like knowledge and community. Those words don’t really trigger temptation much. Still there’s plenty of tempting emotions to gain from participating. Perhaps it’s possible to clarify by using what salespeople do: Visualising the pain of the problem, and then serve the obvious relief and solution. There are literally thousands of possible topics for that strategy here. No need to be sneaky overselling anything. There are actually innumerable “pain points” in boating, and AAC does actually serve the best true relief and solution to loads of them. I really think it’s possible (but not done in a minute, of course) to make a landing page for AAC that gives some quite compelling versions of this. The landing page could be shared by us members and others, to make the word of mouth process far more efficient.
4. Reduce RESISTANCE to entry
Cost is probably the only resistance here? It’s obvious to us inside that the cost of our membership is very low, but new members don’t know what a gold mine this is. The fee should be higher, but that would certainly heighten the entry barrier.
To soften this, a ladder system could be used on the member fee: New members could get a 10 days (?) free trial membership, with full functionality, to have a proper look. They would have to register, with payment method and all, but no cost. They should probably get several automated mails during this period, to welcome them and help them get max value out of their membership, plus full awareness of pricing structures, options and time remaining until they have to cancel to avoid deduction, if so wished. Perhaps this free trial membership could make it possible to move several more (or all?) articles behind the payment wall?
When the ten days are over, if they haven’t cancelled, they automatically go into say a half year newbie membership for 18 Dollars. That’s the same as the present annual cost, but sounds like nothing. After the first half year, unless they cancel, they automatically go onto a one year auto renew normal membership of say 60 Dollars a year. Probably both amounts should be a bit higher? The amount should either way not be a legacy amount, but increase when necessary. Only annual auto renew memberships available.
Additional payments
From any level, any member could decide to up their annual payment to whatever they feel comfortable with. Each renewal after that will remain at that amount, unless the member changes it to any other amount, minimum the base annual renewal cost. Many Youtubers etc get most of their revenue from Patreon, where people pay just because they want to support. On a membership site like this, you could have a similar function within your subscription system. Perhaps there should also be an easy to find option for one time supporting gifts. I think this idealism option could fit the site very well. I know some of this might feel for you like begging, but it doesn’t feel that way from my side of the picture.
Perhaps different member levels could have some type of badge? Perhaps linked to duration of membership, or number of comments or payment level? I don’t know. Might add to loyalty or feeling of value and pride?
VIDEO
I also agree that making long form video isn’t suitable for this site. At least not at the moment. Video does have a favourable influence on several of the 4 points above, but I’d say it’s mostly not efficient enough to be worth the effort. Having short video elements within suitable articles might be useful for Google ratings, as Charlie Armor mentions. That should probably be mostly single take, unedited and max 2 minutes, mostly explaining the problem the article will go into, not the solutions. That’s also work, but dramatically less than full on video posts.
E-books
Making the online books and their comment threads into regular E-books sounds interesting, but I assume they would not be dynamically updating with ongoing updates and new comments? Also one couldn’t make comments in the book interface? This is probably fine, as long as the e-book is fairly frequently updated, but it could potentially break a bit of the valuable connection between content and community interaction?
Future
Nobody can live forever, it seems, 🙂 but I’m sure you will want to contribute to this site long after normal retirement, albeit sometime not too far into the future at a more relaxed pace. I hope you will also wish AAC to continue existing even after you don’t want to spend all your energy on it. Perhaps Phyllis feels like maintaining it? It could be with fewer published articles. It could even be close to static, perhaps, but that would mean problems with a subscription model? Perhaps some other entity would like to buy the site from you, sometime in the future, and keep the knowledge available, while building their own related content next to it? That would have to include some sort of contract about how to use it, of course. Perhaps ideally, you would find somebody that would like to join in running the site quite soon, to learn how to, who would gradually be able to take over the work and run the site in a good way for a long time?
I wish the best for you both, and AAC.
Stein
Hi Stein,
Lot’s of interesting ideas.
We have been experimenting with trial membership for six months (A/B split testing) as a replacement for the current “get to know us” funnel. In the last test the get to know us was a bit more effective than trial membership, but we have made improvements to trial and are getting ready to test it again.
The series of emails welcoming a new member is already done and had been going out for about 8 years.
As to selling the site. No plans yet, but that would certainly be the most desirable exit strategy. On the other hand the thought of John without enough to do is one of Phyllis greatest fears! So, assuming this price increase strategy works and my health holds, I’m planning to do this for some years to come.
Hi John,
About trial membership, what I tried to present was a “cushioned entry point” type of onboarding, rather than an actual trial membership. The idea is to make the only real action point as low resistance as possible, as it is totally free with no obligations. All later action points are automatic. Following the route of least resistance, zero initiative, means you become a member. To not become a full member demands initiative and action = resistance. This action should remain easy to find, but still, most who got past the registration resistance will become members. If the short free membership period didn’t demand full registration including payment method, and rather ask for that later, more would go for it, but it would certainly still result in fewer new members to the site. I’d also argue that 10 days is a suitable length for the free period. It sounds two digit comfortably long, and those who didn’t find out in 10 days won’t be helped by more days.
I’d guess it’ll be relatively easy to find a company or such interested in buying the site, but very hard to find an individual capable of running it the right way. The combination of knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary, and the level of them, is rare. I would imagine that any buyer would be thankful for any level of continued activity from you, so Phyllis’ fears will probably not materialise. 🙂 I guess giving up your baby to new owners will bring some mixed feelings on either side about how things should be done and how it should develop, but mixed feelings is what life is about, 🙂 so it’ll sort itself out, as long as the new person is suitable. Others have mentioned potentially suitable entities AAC could cooperate with, or potentially later sell to. Perhaps Noonsite.com could be added to the list? They have sprung out of the ARC rally, and don’t have the same function as AAC, but the two sites might complement each other well.
Hi Stein,
What you suggest is exactly how our trial membership works: no money up front but requires a credit card and automatically charges, unless specifically canceled, at 7 days. That could easily be changed to 10 if an A/B split test shows it makes a difference.
But the interesting thing is that said trial worked slightly less well in our last test than our current sales funnel, that just asks for an email address in exchange for links to sample chapters from our online books and further emails about our services and new content as it is published, that we have been refining for 8 years.
Point being that only methodical testing can tell us what will and won’t persuade people to join.
As to selling, while that day will inevitably come, it’s not on my radar now and probably won’t be as long as my health holds. One think I know for sure from selling three businesses in the past is that once we start thinking about selling it tends to dominate what we do day to day in ways that are not good for the viability of the company, so I prefer not to go there until it becomes a necessity, or at least desirable. And you are right, running AAC requires a special skill set, not just mine, but Phyllis’ too, without her the thing would have folded years ago. That said, there is one couple, who are friends, I know for sure could manage AAC to the satisfaction of the members, and we do talk from time to time, but nothing solid and no immediate plans.
Perhaps you could team up with Practical Sailor, work out some joint, electronic offer. Seems to be the same audience and partially the same people contributing.
Practical Sailor sends out so many emails that it is becoming a chore rather than a pleasure to read them.
Hi Mrk,
I agree! At AAC we let each member control how many emails they see: click on account, top right.
Hi George,
I have wondered about something like that too. That said the practicalities of making it work could be a huge distraction and time sink. PS is also owned by a large publishing company and dealing with people from that kind of environment could be a real PIA since they tend to keep reaching for ones chips in totally unreasonable ways. Stories I could tell you about what happened at the glossy cruising mags when revenue started to drop: take from the creatives to keep the MBAs fat.
Hi John,
sadly, you are probably right.
the match would be there, but talking sense with most modern corporations is a fool’s errand
Just happily updated my subscription; though it was not clear whether I extended or just created a new duplicate. Hopefully the former.
As online visibility becomes more and more challenging, my experience (working as a sports product founder and designer) is that the primary means of survival usually comes back to QUALITY OF THE PRODUCT YOU OFFER. So that’s one more vote to stick to your knitting, make your posts as informative and unimpeachable as possible, and most important, MAKE TIME FOR SAILING! All it takes for me is a day or two on board to come back with a new project list and improvements I’d like to make to our beloved Saga 43. Your “J” time will undoubtably pay off in inspiring new articles and advice.
No need for a “better” mobile version. Although I generally don’t spend much time on mobile sites because they can be so awful( yeah, looking at you Facebook), I happily read AAC on my phone.